Question:  Dear Greg,

            Please explain what the letter of the law and the written code mean.

            Thank you,

            Mary

Answer:  Dear Mary,

            The terms to which you have reference are used by Paul in Romans 2:27 and 29, as well as 2 Corinthians 3:6-7 and Colossians 2:14.  The exact phrasing and choice of words varies depending upon what translation one is citing.

            Paul uses the term “letter of the law” to contrast the old covenant with the new, explaining that while the exact requirements of the old covenant are not incumbent upon Christians, there is a spiritual application and understanding of the moral principles taught by the law of the old covenant.  All of the New Testament writers describe, in their own way, these enduring principles that are virtues that God will produce in the lives of those who accept Jesus Christ.  And, on the other hand, the New Testament writers are also clear about those specific requirements, the letter of the law, of the old covenant that have no relevance in the light of the cross of Christ.

            Paul uses the word “letter” in the 2 Corinthians passage to speak of the literal letters on the tablets of stone, showing that even the specific requirements of the Ten Commandments are part of the old covenant and that such specific requirements of the “letter” are not relevant for Christians.

            The “written code” is the way the NIV translates the KJV “handwriting of ordinances” in Colossians 2:14.  Paul is explicit in what it is: to paraphrase “Jesus canceled the written code of the old covenant with its regulations that was against us and nailed it to the cross.”

            Quick answer to your question—please let me know if something is not clear and you would like further explanation.  May God bless you, Mary.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht